US8049129B2 - Housing for a vacuum interrupter module - Google Patents
Housing for a vacuum interrupter module Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US8049129B2 US8049129B2 US12/220,809 US22080908A US8049129B2 US 8049129 B2 US8049129 B2 US 8049129B2 US 22080908 A US22080908 A US 22080908A US 8049129 B2 US8049129 B2 US 8049129B2
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- mounting flange
- housing
- vacuum interrupter
- mounting
- curved transition
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H33/00—High-tension or heavy-current switches with arc-extinguishing or arc-preventing means
- H01H33/60—Switches wherein the means for extinguishing or preventing the arc do not include separate means for obtaining or increasing flow of arc-extinguishing fluid
- H01H33/66—Vacuum switches
- H01H33/662—Housings or protective screens
- H01H33/66207—Specific housing details, e.g. sealing, soldering or brazing
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to vacuum interrupter modules. Particularly, the present invention relates to a housing containing a vacuum interrupter. Specifically, the present invention relates to a housing for containing a vacuum interrupter that provides a mounting flange that is configured to prevent fracture when the vacuum interrupter module is mounted.
- Vacuum interrupter modules are used to control the application of large amounts of electrical power to an electrical load. These vacuum interrupters are maintained within an electrically insulated housing so as to prevent them from encountering environmental elements, such as snow and rain, as well as from encountering other debris that may interfere with the operation of the vacuum interrupter. To achieve such operation, the housings are typically made from a non-metallic material, such as ceramic or epoxy, which has been found suitable for electrically insulating the interrupter module.
- the housings are typically mounted to a platform or other base where the vacuum interrupter module can be rigidly affixed.
- Different manners for enabling the attachment of the interrupter module have been utilized.
- One way of attachment is to provide a mounting flange at the base of the interrupter module housing which provides a plurality of mounting bores.
- the housing may provide mounting flanges at each end of the housing to facilitate the series coupling of multiple interrupter modules.
- housing designs have long suffered from being too fragile, such that the mounting flange, as well as other parts of the housing, are highly susceptible to fracture upon tightening of the bolts received through the mounting bores.
- the mounting flange becomes stressed causing it to deflect.
- the deflection of the mounting flange results in a fracture developing in the flange, which is permitted to propagate along a radius located between a bore in the flange through which the fastener is received and the main body of the housing.
- the propagation of the fracture is permitted to continue until it reaches the edge of the flange, thus resulting in the structural failure of the mounting flange.
- the torque settings on the tools used to fasten the bolts must be calibrated with increased precision to ensure that the bolts are fastened to their upper torque limit to prevent loosening over time. Furthermore, because the bolts are fastened to their upper torque limit, should the attachment flange be subjected to external forces, such as wind or that from external debris, the attachment flange may fracture due to stress sustained thereby, which may lead to the failure of the vacuum interrupter module.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter that eliminates sharp transitions between the mounting flange and housing body so as to prevent the development and propagation of fractures in the interrupter module housing. Additionally, there is a need for a housing for a vacuum interrupter module that provides at least one mounting flange that provides mounting bores that can receive fasteners that can be tightened with increased torque without fracturing the mounting flange. In addition, there is a need for a housing for a vacuum interrupter module that provides a curved transition between a housing body and at least one mounting flange that extends therefrom.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter module that provides at least one mounting flange that includes at least one mounting aperture disposed within a contoured counterbore at least partially disposed within a curved transition between the body and the at least one mounting flange.
- It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a vacuum interrupter module comprising an elongated housing body having an end from which a mounting flange extends, the mounting flange extending from the end, so as to form a curved transition therebetween, the mounting flange maintaining at least one mounting aperture therethrough, a vacuum interrupter disposed within the housing, the vacuum interrupter coupled between an input terminal pad and an output terminal pad, and a switching mechanism coupled to the vacuum interrupter to actuate the vacuum interrupter between on and off states.
- Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a housing for a vacuum interrupter module comprising an elongated housing body having opposed ends, a mounting flange extending from at least one of the ends so as to form a curved transition therebetween, the mounting flange maintaining an outer surface opposite an inner surface, and at least one mounting bore disposed through the mounting flange.
- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior-art vacuum interrupter module that is susceptible to fracture
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vacuum interrupter module housing in accordance with the concepts of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the vacuum interrupter module housing in accordance with the concepts of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a curved recess disposed within a curved transition maintained by a mounting flange maintained by the housing in accordance with the concepts of the present invention
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting flange in accordance with the concepts of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6 - 6 of FIG. 4 of the vacuum interrupter module housing in accordance with the concepts of the present invention
- FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the mounting flanges maintained by the housing showing the curved transition in accordance with the concepts of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another of the mounting flanges maintained by the housing showing the curved transition in accordance with the concepts of the present invention.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter module configured to prevent the development of fractures when mounted is generally referred to by the numeral 10 , as shown in the Figs.
- the term “fracture” is defined as any full or partial structural failure, including but not limited to cracks, breaks, fissures, and the like.
- a brief discussion of a prior art housing 11 maintained by a vacuum interrupter module 12 will be presented to facilitate the reader's understanding of the housing 10 .
- the prior art vacuum interrupter module 12 includes an upper terminal pad 14 that provides an electrical and mechanical connection to a furnace or other piece of electrical equipment operating at high voltage.
- the upper terminal pad 14 is electrically connected to a vacuum interrupter 16 through a stationary stem 18 that is also electrically connected to a stationary contact 20 .
- the stationary contact 20 is mateable with a moving contact 22 .
- the moving contact 22 connects to and is mated with the stationary contact 20 to complete the current path to the furnace or other electrical equipment.
- the moving contact 22 and the stationary contact 20 are sealed within the highly evacuated vacuum container 24 .
- the moving contact 22 is connected to a moving stem 26 that axially extends from the vacuum container 24 , and which is attached to a flexible shunt 28 .
- the flexible shunt 28 is connected at its opposite end to a lower terminal pad 30 , thus allowing the contacts 20 and 22 to be opened and closed as a pull rod 32 connected to the moving contact 22 is actuated.
- the housing 11 is disposed about the components of the vacuum interrupter module 12 .
- due to the structural characteristics of the housing 11 it suffers from the drawbacks previously discussed in regard to prior art interrupter module housings, and as such is susceptible to fracture.
- the housing 10 contemplated herein reduces the potential for fractures that develop in and about a mounting flange maintained by the housing 10 .
- the housing 10 of the present invention achieves a significant improvement to its structural integrity, which has long plagued vacuum interrupter module housing designs.
- changes to the design of the shape of the housing 10 in the regions of the mounting flange, and regions about the mounting fasteners reduces the mechanical stress concentrations in the regions proximate the mounting flange and mounting bores disposed therethrough, so as to minimize fracture.
- the housing 10 contemplated by the present invention is optimized to provide suitably small leakage currents that are equivalent or nearly equivalent to past interrupter module housing designs, while also providing a housing with enhanced structural performance that is resistant to mechanical fractures in and about the mounting flange.
- the housing 10 which is the basis for the discussion that follows, has increased structural strength, while still being able to minimize leakage currents therethrough at a level that is equivalent or nearly equivalent to existing housing designs previously discussed.
- the vacuum interrupter module housing 10 comprises an elongated hollow body 200 that maintains an outer surface 210 and an inner surface 220 .
- the housing 10 may be formed of alphatic epoxy that is filled with alumina trihydrate, although other suitable materials, such as ceramic materials, may be used.
- the outer surface 210 of the body 200 is substantially cylindrical in shape and may include one or more convolutions 222 that extend radially therefrom.
- the body 220 may take on any suitable rectilinear or curvilinear shape.
- a pair of solid, or partially solid mounting flanges 230 , 232 extend from respective ends 240 , 250 of the body 200 at a substantially right angle to form respective edges 260 , 262 , as shown in FIG. 4 . Because the mounting flange 230 is structurally equivalent to mounting flange 232 , the following description will present only the components relating to that of flange 230 .
- the mounting flange 230 extends from the body 200 , such that a curved transition 264 is formed between the body 200 and the mounting flange 230 .
- the curved transition 264 circumscribes the region of the housing 10 that is between the body 200 and the mounting flange 230 .
- the mounting flange 230 includes an outer surface 270 that is opposite an inner surface 280 through which a plurality of mounting bores 290 are disposed, as shown in FIGS. 5-8 .
- the curved transition 264 may be coextensive with at least part of the outer surface 270 of the mounting flange 230 , thereby causing at least part of the outer surface 270 to be curved or otherwise contoured.
- the mounting bores 290 are at least partially surrounded by a curved recess 300 that is at least partially disposed within the curved transition 264 .
- the curved recesses 300 maintain a curved wall surface 310 that partially extends about the mounting bores 290 .
- the recesses 300 are discussed herein as being curved, the recesses may be a combination of curvilinear and rectilinear shapes.
- the transition 264 may extend completely about the mounting bores 290 so that they are surrounded by the curved transition 264 .
- the inner surface 220 of the body 200 defines an open substantially cylindrical void 400 , which serves as a mounting region for the components of the interrupter module 20 previously discussed.
- a ledge 410 may be disposed upon the inner surface 220 at a point that is about midway between the ends 240 , 250 of the housing 10 .
- the ledge 410 is provided to support one or more of the structures of the interrupter module 20 maintained within the housing 10 . It should also be appreciated that the ledge 410 may also serve to separate the void 400 into two separate regions 420 and 430 .
- the curved transition 264 provides suitable resistance to the deflection forces imparted to the flange 230 via the fasteners. That is, the curvilinear profile of the curved transition 264 serves to withstand the deflection forces of the fasteners when tightened within the mounting bores 290 . Furthermore, the curved profile of the curved recess 300 also contributes to the housing's resistance to fracture as well. As such, the curved transition 264 prevents the formation of fractures, and prevents any fractures that have been created from propagating to the edge 260 of the flange 230 .
- the fasteners received within the mounting bores 290 may be tightened with a greater amount of torque than is currently applied to existing vacuum interrupter module housings.
- the fastener may be tightened such that the head of the fastener imparts a force of approximately 100 inch-pounds of torque thereto without fracturing the mounting flange 230 or the body 200 of the housing 10 .
- Such a feature is beneficial in that the technicians who are charged with installing the vacuum interrupter modules 20 maintained within the housing 10 may be mounted with reduced failures of the interrupter module.
- the operation of the vacuum interrupter module is made more reliable.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter module provides a mounting flange that is able to receive fasteners tightened with increased torque without fracturing the housing so as to more rigidly affix the interrupter module in position.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter module provides a mounting flange maintaining a plurality of contoured recesses which prevents the housing from fracturing when a fastener received therethrough is tightened.
- a housing for a vacuum interrupter module provides a curved transition between a body of the housing and a mounting flange extending therefrom, which prevents the housing from fracturing when a fastener is received through the flange and tightened.
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Abstract
Description
Claims (9)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/220,809 US8049129B2 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2008-07-29 | Housing for a vacuum interrupter module |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/220,809 US8049129B2 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2008-07-29 | Housing for a vacuum interrupter module |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20100025377A1 US20100025377A1 (en) | 2010-02-04 |
US8049129B2 true US8049129B2 (en) | 2011-11-01 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/220,809 Active 2030-04-30 US8049129B2 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2008-07-29 | Housing for a vacuum interrupter module |
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US (1) | US8049129B2 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9190231B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2015-11-17 | Thomas & Betts International, Inc. | Removable shed sleeve for switch |
US20180019083A1 (en) * | 2012-06-12 | 2018-01-18 | Hubbell Incorporated | Medium or High Voltage Switch Bushing |
US10043630B2 (en) | 2014-03-20 | 2018-08-07 | Thomas & Betts International Llc | Fuse insulating support bracket with pre-molded shed |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4704508A (en) * | 1985-09-30 | 1987-11-03 | Lorenzetti-Inebrasa S/A. | Electric arc breaker |
US6172317B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2001-01-09 | Vacuum Electric Switch Co. | Foam encapsulated vacuum interrupter module removably mounted in a housing |
-
2008
- 2008-07-29 US US12/220,809 patent/US8049129B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4704508A (en) * | 1985-09-30 | 1987-11-03 | Lorenzetti-Inebrasa S/A. | Electric arc breaker |
US6172317B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2001-01-09 | Vacuum Electric Switch Co. | Foam encapsulated vacuum interrupter module removably mounted in a housing |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9190231B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2015-11-17 | Thomas & Betts International, Inc. | Removable shed sleeve for switch |
US10614976B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2020-04-07 | Thomas & Betts International Llc | Removable shed sleeve for switch |
US20180019083A1 (en) * | 2012-06-12 | 2018-01-18 | Hubbell Incorporated | Medium or High Voltage Switch Bushing |
US10115547B2 (en) * | 2012-06-12 | 2018-10-30 | Hubbell Incorporated | Medium or high voltage switch bushing |
US10043630B2 (en) | 2014-03-20 | 2018-08-07 | Thomas & Betts International Llc | Fuse insulating support bracket with pre-molded shed |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20100025377A1 (en) | 2010-02-04 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: VACUUM ELECTRIC SWITCH CO.,OHIO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WRISTEN, CECIL C.;MEADOWS, JAMES G.;REEL/FRAME:021364/0626 Effective date: 20080724 Owner name: VACUUM ELECTRIC SWITCH CO., OHIO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WRISTEN, CECIL C.;MEADOWS, JAMES G.;REEL/FRAME:021364/0626 Effective date: 20080724 |
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Owner name: ELECTRUM HOLDINGS LLC., PENNSYLVANIA Free format text: NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:VACUUM ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:059161/0428 Effective date: 20220221 |
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Owner name: VESCO, LLC, OHIO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ELECTRUM HOLDINGS LLC;REEL/FRAME:059408/0620 Effective date: 20220322 |
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